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->''Get ready, fight!''

A big, [[JigglePhysics bouncy]] 3D FightingGame franchise akin to ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' and ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter''. Even though the male fighters outnumber the female fighters by a slim margin, [[SpotlightStealingSquad it's the women who are the real stars of the show]].

The actual story is about the dealings of the sinister DOATEC corporation, who hold the Dead or Alive tournament as a front to finance the genetic research in creating the ultimate fighter. A runaway ninja named Kasumi gets tangled in the struggle, using the tournament as a means of escape and to look for her lost brother Hayate, and take revenge on her traitorous uncle, Raidou. Other characters enter the tournament for their own personal reasons, but all get sucked into DOATEC's larger scheme. Ayane, who is also looking for Hayate, is required to kill her half-sister Kasumi (as desertion from a ninja clan is punishable by death); Ryu Hayabusa ([[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden remember him?]]) is looking for him as well; Hayate is trying to recover the memories he lost after being experimented on by DOATEC; Zack's just doing it for the money; and it builds steam from there. Later on, the story shifts towards Helena Douglas, the daughter of the original leader of DOATEC, Fame Douglas, and the current heiress to the DOATEC chair. She plays a key role in the scheme of the ''real'' villain, Victor Donovan, who secretly aspires to control DOATEC from the shadows.

Of course, nobody plays the game for ''[[ExcusePlot that]]''. They play the game for... well, [[JigglePhysics another]] [[RuleOfFun reason]].

Despite the vast quantities of JigglePhysics, the game actually has a great deal of independent merit of its own, being much more fast-paced and kinetic than the 3D fighters that it competes with while remaining technical and reasonably well-balanced. It's generally considered in the top-tier of 3D fighting games, along with ''Virtua Fighter'', ''Tekken'' and the ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul]]'' series.

After the fights, they tend to [[GoKartingWithBowser get together and play beach volleyball.]]

[[Characters/DeadOrAlive The character sheet]] is under construction. As is the official page for ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5''.

Though sometimes shortened to ''DOA'', not at ''all'' to be confused with the FilmNoir ''Film/{{DOA}}'' (which is quite lacking in mostly visible breasts in comparison). Additional things that this should not be confused with can be found on Main.DeadOrAlive. For the viewer's inconvenience, the 2006 [[TheMovie film adaptation]] of the games is titled ''Film/DOADeadOrAlive'', instead. Also, the franchise should ''never'' be confused with the '80s group [[NamesTheSame of the same name]], who performed the [[MemeticMutation memelicious]] "[[OneHitWonder You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)]]".

* ActionGirl: Every female character, obviously. In-story, Kasumi, Ayane, Christie and Helena are the predominant ones. Gameplay-wise, Tina is also one of the most successful females.* AdvertisingCampaigns: The beloved/infamous [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jfzh2s3jlE "She kicks high."]] commercial for ''Dead or Alive 3''.-->(''Scene: TwoGamersOnACouch.'')\\'''Gamer 1:''' (nervous, interrupted by gameplay footage) [[IReadItForTheArticles Well, I - I only play it for the]] ''fighting''. I appreciate the expansive... multi-tier environments, the 16 characters with the... the pixel shaded bump-mapping... ('''Gamer 2''' giggles.) and the rich plot development. Seriously, [[BlatantLies why else would I play it]]? ({{Beat}})\\'''Gamer 2:''' [[MemeticMutation She kicks high.]]\\(''Scene of Kasumi high-kicking an opponent.'')* AllJustADream: Kasumi's ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending.** The opening of Bass' story chapter in 5 has him riding down the road on his CoolBike, then there's an explosion on the oil rig he works on.* AllThereInTheManual: The PlayStation version of the original ''Dead or Alive'' contained nothing resembling a story. Not in the game, anyway. The backstory is told through rather tiny text written on the outer edges of the pages over the course of the entire instruction manual insert in the jewel case.* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: vs. Omega/Genra.* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: In the story mode for ''Dimensions'', the first four chapters go over the events of the series from the point of view of the ninja characters. The fifth and final chapter re-tells the events from the second game on from [[spoiler: Helena's]] perspective.* AnimeChineseGirl: Lei Fang.** [[GuestFighter Pai Chan]] as well in ''Dead or Alive 5''.* AntiHero: Ayane and Bayman.* ArmorPiercingSlap: In ''Dimensions'', we see 4 examples of this in the ''Chronicle'' mode cinematics. Considering this is a fighting game, the way the victims recoil in response looks kind of weird.* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Jann Lee.* ArtEvolution: In every game thanks to improving hardware, but ''Dead or Alive 5'' takes the cake for now: special mention goes to the female characters, whose new designs look much less generic anime, with smaller eyes and less fanservice-y bodies, or maybe fanservice-y in a different way. * ArtisticAge: Exploited; the localized games refuses to give away the ages of the characters who were minors: Kasumi, Ayane, Kokoro and Eliot. For the girls, this was due to the fact that they're exploited to extreme cases of MsFanservice by wearing revealing to downright fetish clothing, and due to ValuesDissonance in the West, it wouldn't stick well for 16-17 year olds to be seen this way. Done away with in ''5'', which explicitly takes place two years after ''Dead or Alive 4'', so everyone is now 18 or older (although the game doesn't state the ages of the characters anymore). See the character pages for details.** In an interview, [[WordOfGod Tomonobu Itagaki explained]] that, while in the West it's seen acceptable in media to sexualize women from 18-20 years old, in Japan it's acceptable from 16-18 years old. However, for a lot of people, that explanation didn't cut it. For some, it made things even worse.* BadassBack: Ayane has a whole set of moves based on this, Kokoro has this as well.** Brad Wong also has quite a few backward attacks as well. Then again, it's all part of the DrunkenMaster style of fighting.* BadassGrandpa: Gen Fu.* BadassNormal: Regular old teenagers who fight for fun can hold their own against ninjas, mystical superpowered beings and [[spoiler:a genetically altered interdimensional clone of one of aforementioned ninjas]].* BarbieDollAnatomy: Both played straight and averted with the female fighters, depending on the game.* BattleButler: Christie, to Helena in 3.* BattleInTheRain* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Played straight in the first four titles, but averted in ''Dead or Alive 5'', where everyone becomes relatively dirty and grimy by the time the fight's over and stays that way for the rest of the match; of course, the player can turn that detail off in the options.* BetweenMyLegs: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhpv5rsHt4s Christie's ending]] in ''Dead or Alive 4''.* BewareTheNiceOnes: Gen Fu is really a sweet old man. But if you cross him, ''watch out''.** The same goes for Kasumi, Kokoro and Eliot.* BigDamnHeroes: Zack in [[spoiler:Helena's ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending.]]** Ryu in ''Dimensions'' during [[spoiler:Kasumi vs. Kasumi Alpha and Ayane & Hayate vs. Omega]].* BloodlessCarnage: Characters give and take some pretty severe beatings with nothing to show for it. [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished Unsurprising]], [[{{Fanservice}} given the aim]].* BoobsOfSteel: Even by ''Dead or Alive'' standards, Tina's boobs are huge and she's also physically the strongest girl in the game.** ''DOA 5 Ultimate'' gives us [[NinjaGaiden Rachel]], who's not only strong canon-wise, but is also arguably one of the best characters in the game.** ''Last Round'' brings a new champion with Honoka, who not only has the biggest chest in the cast, but her fight style is very based on physical strength, [[MusclesAreMeaningless despite her slender figure]].* BossRush: Arcade course 6 in ''Dimensions'' plays like one of these, culminating with a battle against a SecretCharacter on a SecretStage.* {{Bowdlerization}}: In ''Dimensions'', Ayame's flashback to being raped by Raidou doesn't have the {{sideboob}} shot that originally appeared in the ''Dead or Alive 2: Ultimate'' intro movie.* {{Brainwashed}}: Ein, who after being dumped by the villains is revealed to be [[spoiler: Hayate, Kasumi's brother and Ayane's half-brother.]]** Genra in ''Dead or Alive 3''. [[spoiler:Though ''Dimensions'' revealed he was just evil.]]** Ayane in ''Dimensions''.* BrawnHilda: Spartan-458.* BreakoutCharacter: Ryu Hayabusa, who at the time of the original ''Dead or Alive'', was a mere classic character that hadn't been seen for years; simply put, a GuestFighter for old timers. Come the {{revival}} of the ''NinjaGaiden'' series in 2004, Ryu's popularity soared. This success would be passed (or give it back) to ''Dead or Alive'' itself. Now, Ryu is heavily integrated to the plot, to the point of arguably being a main character himself.* BribingYourWayToVictory: For a given value of victory. ''Dead or Alive Xtreme 2'' has you unlock clothing for the girls while you play it which serves no other function in order to make the already fanservicy sandbox-game more fanservicy. Too lazy to work for your fap? You can buy a girl's complete set using real-world money. Oh, and all of this only lasts until you reset the game's save slot, of which it only has one. So restarting the game on that particular account meant having blown your cash for nothing.* BruceLeeClone: Jann Lee.** Considering Jann is an AscendedFanboy of Lee, it makes perfect sense.** ''Dead or Aive 5: Ultimate'' adds up another that doesn't look like BruceLee: [[GuestFighter Jacky Bryant]] from ''Virtua Fighter''.* ButNotTooForeign: Hitomi is Japanese with a German father; Kokoro is the child of DOA sponsor Fame Douglas and a Japanese geisha.* CainAndAbel: Ayane and Kasumi.* CanonImmigrant: ** [[{{Halo}} Spartan-458]], who was somehow allowed into the ''Dead or Alive'' ''and'' ''Halo'' canon via AppliedPhlebotinum TimeTravel. Also notable as she was not only the first female Spartan to be depicted in a video game, but the first Spartan ever seen on the Xbox 360 (''{{Halo 3}}'' was released a year later).** Rio of ''RioRainbowGate'' was added to ''Dead or Alive Paradise'' as both a dealer in the casino and a unlockable character. She originated as the mascot of the ''SuperBlackjack'' series of Pachi-slo games (a slot machine designed to bypass Japanese laws against gambling). Also, Tecmo co-developed the ''SuperBlackjack'' series with pachi-slo maker Net.** Irene Lew from ''Ninja Gaiden'' finally made her long awaited, but sadly non-playable, appearance in 'Dimensions'.** Similar to Ryu's crossover, Momiji from ''Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword'' and Rachel from ''Ninja Gaiden'' enter the fray with ''Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate'' as canonical characters.* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Pretty much the entire cast seeing as how they can take on ''Ninja Gaiden'' tier super ninjas. Jann Lee gets special mention for punching out a T-Rex ''onscreen''.* CherryBlossoms: Kasumi's motif.* ChickMagnet: Zack, who buys an island that sets the tone for the ''Xtreme'' side-series. Why does he do it? Because he ''[[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney can]]''. * {{Combos}}* ComicBookTime: For the first four games. As of ''5'', the cast has all officially aged two years.* ConfusionFu: Brad Wong.* ContractOnTheHitman: Kasumi; from the third game onward, Bayman.* ContinuitySnarl: Ryu Hayubusa's timeline in regards to the NES ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' games, making it unclear when they happened and what his exact relationship with Irene Lew is.* CoolBoat: The ''Freedom Survivor''. Introduced in ''Dimensions'', it's said to be the world's largest cruise ship, and it serves as a floating headquarters for DOATEC used by Fame Douglas, Donovan and Helena in succession. And it seems to be more than a mere cruise ship, because it stores explosives in its cargo hold, and the expanse of black metal deck between the helipad and the superstructure is covered with what looks suspiciously like missile launcher hatches.* CounterAttack: If it's not the copious fanservice, this is what the series is most well known for. The game places heavy emphasis in attack interception and reversing an opponent's offense.* CuteBruiser: Most of the females use WaifFu except for Tina Armstrong who is pro wrestler, Hitomi who uses karate and Mila who is a MMA fighter that looks and fights just like real life cute bruiser Creator/GinaCarano and the aggressive Rachel.* DarkIsNotEvil[=/=]LightIsNotGood: Mainly the ninjas cast of character(the good ones) especially in ''Dead or Alive 5'' while the bad guys Victor Donovan and Christie are dressed in white and Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate and Hayabusa are all dressed in black.* DatingSim: The ''Xtreme'' games are easily the best-known DatingSim to the non-Japanese gaming market (and most people don't even know that's what they are).* DemotedToExtra: The "Chronicle" mode in ''Dimensions'' manages to include every major fighter from the entire series, but many characters only appear in one or two scenes. Some of the females have even been demoted to little more than MsFanservice.* DirtyOldMan: The player can do this by putting their age up to the maximum to increases the JigglePhysics. Also Brad Wong in-story.* DisproportionateRetribution: Lei Fang to an unlucky(?) old man in her ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending.* DrunkenMaster: Brad Wong.* {{Eagleland}}: Tina and Bass (a mixture of both types). [[strike: Possibly]] Probably Zack too.* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The original ''Dead or Alive'' featured ring outs and limited 3D movement. The edge of the ring would explode if you landed on it but otherwise the game was a very different beast from what followed. The rest of the series takes place in very real world-esque environments full of obstacles and uneven surfaces. There are walls and you can be knocked off of areas into lower areas (so no ring outs).* EarnYourFun: ''Dead or Alive 5'' challenges the hardcore among the hardcore players if they want to unlock 3 extremely skimpy swimsuits for Tina, Christie and Lisa; the game features a ''whopping total of 8 levels'' of difficulty: Rookie, Easy, Normal, Hard, Champ, True Fighter, Master and Legend, with the last three being unlocked after the preceding difficulty is beaten; rest assured that your average player canít go through Hard without losing continues, if you want those rare swimsuits you must mow through Legend (4 difficulties beyond Hard) ''without losing a single continue'' on Arcade for Tinaís, Time Attack for Christieís and on Survival for Lisaís. Simply put, itís a nightmare to get these pieces of clothing for the girls. The computer on Legend is on an whole new level of [[TheAllSeeingAI reading and countering]] any attack the player tries to connect. Just beating this mode is a chore, but beating it without losing continues is absurd, and thatís not enough. Even though the task on Arcade and Time Attack is already beyond insane to complete, at the end of the day is just 8 Stages each. On Survival though, itís ''100 Stages''. So yeah, even some of the most hardcore players stop at Tina and Christieís swimsuits.** Luckily it can be avoided by playing 200 online matches.* [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Even Bad Girls Love Their Adopted Fathers]]: Ayane; see ManlyTears below.** She also shows a more tender and emotional side around her mother in Dimensions.* ExcusePlot: ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball''.** Some of the fights between the relatively minor characters are started for some quite petty reasons like Kokoro challenging Lisa for bumping into her in the street.* {{Expy}}: Bass and Zack are clearly based on HulkHogan and Dennis Rodman, respectively. Why a basketball player is the basis for a character in a fighting game is a good question, [[FridgeBrilliance until you remember that Rodman was a professional wrestler for a brief period.]]** In ''Dead or Alive 5'', Kokoro looks exactly like Tifa in ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren''.** Nyotengu is basically a tengu version of [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Morrigan Aensland]], and this is [[http://i.imgur.com/k33IiU5.jpg?1 further referenced in two of her alt-costume colors]].* {{Fanservice}}: "She kicks high", indeed. The only female character who avoids this is Nicole, the DistaffCounterpart of ''Halo'''s Master Chief. She still has a smoking hot body under the power armour, since her measurements are [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure B49" W30" H41"]].* FanservicePack: Irene Lew [[spoiler:(confirmed to be Sonia from ''[[NinjaGaiden NG2]]'']] in ''Dimensions'' sure has changed compared to her rather plain original design; now she's a Miss Universe like every other woman Team Ninja has ever modeled in 3D.* TheFaceless: Miyako, Kokoro's mother. It's averted in ''Dead or Alive 5'''s story mode.** [[BigBad Victor Donovan]] in ''Dimensions''. The only time the camera focuses on the front of his face is when [[spoiler:he puts on Omega's mask.]]* FreeFloorFighting: Quite a few arenas have sections where you can knock your opponent into another area, like off balconies, down stairwells, or through walls. * FriendlyPlayfulDolphin: Helena swims with dolphins in her ending cinematic from the third game.* GaidenGame: The two ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' games dispense entirely with the male combatants and put the women on an island with volleyball nets and the skimpiest bikinis known to man. The ''Dead or Alive'' series itself qualifies as this for the newer ''Ninja Gaiden'' series.* {{Gainaxing}}: ''Dead or Alive'''s shtick since the first game, but in ''Dead or Alive Xtreme 2'', each breast has its own physics, meaning both can jiggle independently. It look as ridiculous as it sounds. Taken [[UpToEleven one step further]] in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' when you can invoke this trait.* GenreShift: In ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball''; guess what they do instead of fighting...* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Ryu impersonates [[MobileSuitGundam Lt. Noah]] in ''Dimensions'' and delivers a backhand slap to Kasumi in an attempt to stop her from searching for Hayate.** Also Hayate while being offended by some of Ayane's accusations toward Kasumi.* GiantWaistRibbon: Ayane, a.k.a. "The Giftwrapped Ninja".* GoodIsNotSoft: Kasumi. Nicest character in the series? Check. Lethal fighting skills? Check. [[BewareTheNiceOnes Seeks to kill Raidou after he attacked her brother?]] Oh check.* GoKartingWithBowser: Again, ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball'': they love playing with their enemies. It's even possible for you to play as Christie and get Helena to be your volleyball partner if you give her enough dolphin-related merchandise, completely ignoring the fact that ''[[spoiler:you killed her mother]]'' (although to be fair, ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' was before ''Dead or Alive 4'', which is where Helena learned that information).** Though ''Xtreme 2'' takes place after the reveal in ''Dead or Alive 4''.* GoryDiscretionShot: Fairly mild variation. [[spoiler: If the player, as Ayane, beats Kasumi in ''Dead or Alive 2'''s story mode, she either leaves Kasumi for dead in the snow (the camera just focusing on Ayane as she glares down before muttering "...traitor") or finishes her off with a jutsu of some description, cutting away just as Ayane finishes "casting" it.]] Either way, you never see a corpse.** Zigzaged by Hayate's ending in ''Dead or Alive 4''. It opens with him violently slicing a {{mook}} in half. However, for the rest of the scene, the JitterCam is so intense that you can't really see much more than a few splashes of blood.* GrappleMove: Every character had a front throw and a crouching throw, a back throw and back crouching throw. Some characters had chain throws. There are also wall throws and environmental throws.* GratuitousEnglish: In the first ''Xtreme'' game, Japanese is the only language available (save for Zack). Most of the time, the girls speak in Japanese (despite their nationality), but during matches you can hear them say random English phrases like "Nice spike!", "Nice serve!", and "Nice block!"* GuestFighter: Nicole, a female [[{{Halo}} Spartan]] soldier, is playable in ''Dead or Alive 4'' and ''Virtua Fighter''s Akira Yuki, Pai Chan, and Sarah Bryant joined the fray in ''5''. ''5: Ultimate'' then adds up Sarah's brother, Jacky Bryant.* HeroicBastard: Ayane eventually fits this, as she's [[spoiler: the product of the first game's [[BigBad Raidou]] raping the mother of Hayate and Kasumi]]. She's a female bastard, by the way, [[spoiler: because her sister killed Raidou.]]* HighlyVisibleNinja: All four of them. Hayate frankly admits to Hitomi that he and Ayane are shinobi in ''Dimensions'' and the pair also have a lengthy conversation/sparring session with Gen Fu and Eliot in the following scene, wearing full ninja gear. They apparently have no care for surreptitiousness whilst in public.* HomeVersionSoundtrackReplacement: While Music/{{Aerosmith}} songs were used as themes for ''Dead or Alive 3'', ''2: Ultimate'' and ''4'', their [=FMVs=] that were re-purposed as cutscenes in ''Dimensions'' replace the songs with completely different instrumental pieces.* HuskyRusskie: Bayman.* IdentityAmnesia: Ein (who is really [[spoiler:Hayate]]) in ''2'' and Rig in ''5''.* InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja: [[TheHero Kasumi?]] [[YouGottahaveBlueHair Ayane?]] [[NinjaGaiden Ryu?]] [[AloofBigBrother Hayate?]] Hell yeah this fits.** The developer is called Team Ninja, what'd you expect???* IntercontinuityCrossover: Nicole's story in ''Dead or Alive 4'' suggests that the ''Halo'' series (or at least its semi-canon ''ARG/ILoveBees'' incarnation) occurs in ''Dead or Alive'''s far future.** Ryu Hayabusa, the star of original NES ''NinjaGaiden'' games, exists in the ''Dead or Alive'' world. Ayane, a ninja who first appeared in the original ''Dead or Alive'', returns the favor by appearing in Team Ninja's ''Ninja Gaiden'' games, which established that the ''Ninja Gaiden'' continuity is shared with ''Dead or Alive''[='s=]. She's soon followed by Kasumi, and the characters who first appeared in Team Ninja's ''Ninja Gaiden'' games (Rachel and Momiji) crossed over into the ''Dead or Alive'' universe in ''DOA 5''. Finally, Irene Lew, Ryu's LoveInterest from the NES trilogy, was fully established in ''Dimensions'' to exist in both Team Ninja's ''Ninja Gaiden'' (where she was under the alias "Sonia") and ''Dead or Alive'' as well.** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpQRuIoL4Hs A trailer]] for ''Dimensions'' seems to suggest that the ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' games possibly take place in the same universe as well, thus making {{Haloid}}'s existence HilariousInHindsight.** ''[=DOA5=]'' carries on the tradition with ''Virtua Fighter'' characters Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan.* InterruptedSuicide: Ayane appears ready to commit suicide, preparing to [[ImpromptuTracheotomy plunge a kunai into her throat]] while believing that Hayate hates her until her mother walks in on her. Helena also in 4; luckily [[spoiler: Zack]] saves her.* JigglePhysics: Not only is the series sold on it, but the series takes the ball, and runs with it. While the fighting game genre has plenty of examples of large breasts, this series is often deemed the queen of HotterAndSexier in fighting games. The ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' series helps.** Not to mention the fact that original ''Dead or Alive'' was [[TropeMaker the first 3D game ever]] to have jiggle physics.** ''[[UpdatedReRelease Dead or Alive 5 Plus]]'' for the [=PlayStation Vita=] takes this to ridiculous levels with its new "Touch Play" feature: [[spoiler: if your own character is female, after winning a game and your character does her winpose, flicking the screen will jiggle her breasts, a feature somewhat similar to that of ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'']].** And now ''[[UpdatedReRelease Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate]]'' for the Playstation3 directly takes after ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' once you activate the "OMG" option in the "Breast Motion" settings. While in-game after selecting any female character, just jiggle the controller and gaze at the results.* LadyOfWar: Helena, Lei Fang and Kokoro.* LargeHam: Tengu.** Special mention towards Bass, too. "YOU BETTER EAT! EAT SOME MEAT!"** Zack, of course.** Tina as well.** Akira, he gets special sound effects and camera angles to emphasize his hamminess.* LuckBasedMission: Literally in ''Dead or Alive Xtreme 2''. You have to get 9 Jackpots to earn a Secret Ticket, which makes your character perform a poledance. The problem is, the machine you have to get the 9 Jackpots on is notorious for taking away anywhere between 100-500 times what you bet.* MadeOfIron: Everyone. Thrown down some steps? Knocked off a multi-story building or a ''hundred meters tall mountain''? Blown up? Meh, just keep on fighting like nothing happened. Even by fighting game standards, some of the damage the fighters can sustain is ridiculous. It's even more absurd in ''5''. Run over by a tiger? Hit head-on by a derailed train? Rocket to the face? No problem. Been sent flying towards a chopper? [[StrongFleshWeakSteel Guess which one goes down]]?* ManlyTears: Ayane's ''Dead or Alive 3'' ending.* MartialArtsAndCrafts: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] in that everyone practises a real style with realistic possibilities and limits. Turned on its head in that everyone is MadeOfIron. The only exagerations that are noticable are the Ninja styles ([[InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja of course]]).* MeaningfulName: ''Dead or Alive'' is so named as it was an AllOrNothing effort to get Tecmo out of the red, similar to [[Franchise/FinalFantasy another video game series]].* MegaCorp: The Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee, or "DOATEC". They have their hands in a variety of over-the-table industries like weapons development and oil drilling, but the corrupt command of Victor Donovan pushes them into more unethical areas such as bio-engineering.%%* MightyGlacier: Spartan-458. She is one of the easier characters to play because she quickly pounds enemies into submission.* MistakenForMurderer: Helena is convinced that Ayane was the assassin that killed her mother, [[spoiler:but it later turns out that Christie did it, and she was sent to kill Helena, as well]].* MistakenIdentity: The end of the E3 2012 trailer for ''Dead or Alive 5'' has Zack praising Tina, who is practicing blows on a punching bag only to get put into a headlock by the real Tina. The "Tina" he was talking to is revealed to be [[VirtuaFighter Sarah Bryant]]. The same event also happens in ''Dead or Alive 5'''s Story Mode when Sara is introduced.* MoodWhiplash: Anything having to do with Zack. This is especially true with his ending in ''Dead or Alive 3'', which was out-and-out slapstick. ''Dimensions'' has him coming in as comic relief at times in the more serious and ninja-focused Chronicle mode.* MoralMyopia: The whole situation with Kasumi and the Mugen Tenshin Clan has shades of this. Raidou had raped Kasumi's mother, stole the Torn Sky Blast, and broke Hayate's spine and put him in a coma, and the Mugen Tenshin decided not to bother going after him, whereas Kasumi decided to pursue Raidou herself because no one else would and is immediately branded a traitor and marked for death.* MovesetClone: Bayman and Leon. Tengu and Nyotengu.* MsFanservice: While any girl can fit this for individual taste, the series does seem to favor Kasumi in terms of fanservice. She and Christie are the only two characters to actually be seen fully nude in the series.** In-game, Tina would be the character that plays the part more straight. She behaves flirty all the time, her winposes are very sensual and has arguably the most provocative costumes in the game. *** Also Christie and Lisa, particularly their special swimsuit. There a reason why is so hard to get.** Averted by Spartan-458. Though, she provided fans another kind of {{squee}}.* MythologyGag: In ''Dimensions'', Irene Lew, Ryu's LoveInterest from the original [[NinjaGaiden NES trilogy]], appears as his CIA contact during the story mode cutscenes. Hayate and Ayane both wonder if something is going on between them. * {{Ninja}}: A lot of the cast.* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Zack = Dennis Rodman. Which became funnier when Rodman himself voiced Zack in ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball''.** The guy Christie assassinates in her [=DOA4=] ending movie looks suspiciously like Steven Seagal.* NotJustATournament: Fame Douglas envisioned the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship (the flagship operation of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee, hence its name) to be a mere tournament but with his death, the tournament became a proving ground for the malicious science of Victor Donovan's experiments.* OddFriendship: Especially in tag matches, where characters who don't normally interact or have opposing goals get along fairly well. It's mildly surprising to see Bayman get along with folks like Bass and Zack. It's a bit more evident with the female characters, especially with Kasumi.* TheOjou: Helena.* OldMaster: Gen Fu.* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Christie is psychotically devoted to protecting Helena, so she can kill her herself.* OnlySixFaces: Despite being the focus of the cast, the female characters have very identical facial and body structures. If it weren't for their varied hairstyles and eye colors, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.** This got some attention in ''5''. Ayane, Kasumi, Hitomi and Christie, while as well endowed as ever, have distinct enough facial features.* OrnamentalWeapon: None of the ninjas use their swords except in cutscenes. Averted with [[spoiler: Omega]] and once you've fought him, you'll understand why [[SNKBossSyndrome other characters can't]].** Bayman doesn't use his gun, knife, grenades or who knows what hidden weapons he keeps on him.*** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as most fights in the series are part of a formal hand-to-hand tournament that most likely forbids the use of weapons.** Averted with Nicole, who uses plasma grenades.* OverlordJr: [[spoiler: Rig.]]* PantyFighter: Kasumi.* PerpetuallyShinyBodies** Averted in ''Dead or Alive 5'' where the fighters sweat and get dirty, though this can be toggled in the options menu.* ParrotExpoWhat: This dialogue from ''Dimensions''.-->'''Ayane:''' How could karate stand against the Hajin-mon sect of Mugen Tenshin?-->'''Hitomi:''' Hajin-in the what now?* ProfessionalWrestling: Tina, Bass, and Lisa/La Mariposa.** Mila is an MMA fighter.* RealSongThemeTune:** Music/{{Aerosmith}} songs were used as opening and closing themes for ''[=DOA3=]'', ''[=DOA2=] Ultimate'' and ''[=DOA4=]'', but this practice was discontinued after Itagaki left Team Ninja, suggesting that it may have been AuthorAppeal on his part. (It sounds particularly jarring in ''Dimensions'' when the same cutscenes that had been backed with Aerosmith songs in previous games now have more generic-sounding instrumental BGM.) By contrast, ''[=DOA5=]'' has a more hip-hop oriented soundtrack.** Meja's 1996 single [[LoveMakesYouCrazy "How Crazy Are You?"]] becomes the theme song to the ''Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' games. Also, B*witched's "If it Don't Fit" plays during the opening demos.* RedOniBlueOni: Kasumi and Ayane.* RelationshipValues: In the ''Dead or Alive Extreme'' games, giving the other girls presents will make them more likely to partner up with youÖ provided you give them something they ''like''. Some items, like all {{stripperiffic}} swimsuits, will make them ''less'' likely to partner up with you.* RevenueEnhancingDevices: ''Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate'' has new outfits pimped every week, pimped as in they are mainly fetish wear for the female fighters. To play the game at all requires constant updates and downloading all the costume catalogs for it to work regardless of whether or not any of the DLC is purchased.* TheRival: Ayane/Kasumi, Lei Fang/Jann Lee, Hayabusa/Hayate, Leon/Bayman.* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Helena. She wants it because Ayane went on one to stop Helena from going after ninja, which resulted in her mother being killed. Kasumi willfully incurs the wrath of becoming a renegade shinobi by going on one of these after a fight between Raidou and Hayate.** Pretty much the plot of ''Dead or Alive 4'' with the ninjas.* RuleOfCool: When the ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending movies aren't shameless fanservice, they are this. Is there something cooler than ''blowing up a tower while playing an electric guitar on a skateboard''?** ''Dead or Alive 5'''s gameplay in general is this. How else can you justify someone surviving from being ''launched off the roof of a skyscraper into traffic, causing a massive explosion, and then getting up unfazed?''* SequelHook: ''Dimensions'' has one at the end of the ''Chronicle'' mode.** The ending of ''Dead or Alive 5'' has this as well.* SetSwordsToStun: Everybody in this series should be dead. ** Bayman is a particular offender, with his Sambo. Sambo is a Russian martial art that specifically targets ''joints'', so whenever our favorite mercenary gets a hold of another character, they should be losing functionality in their limbs.* ShapedLikeItself: The English version for the second game featured Lei Fang saying "{{Good feels good}}!"* ShirtlessScene: Some of the male characters have costumes that are shirtless.* ShoutOut: In the opening, you could see a billboard that has the cast of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''.* SmokeOut: Kasumi can do this with cherry blossom petals, Ayane with iris petals. Ryu smokes out with leaves, Hayate with raven feathers.* SomeDexterityRequired: While a given for the fighting game genre, Hayabusa, Hayate, and the playable bosses in ''Dimensions'' posses combo throws that, while devastating (knocking off as much as a quarter of the health bar when pulled off), are done in sequences, requiring precise timing and inhuman precision with D-pad rolling.** [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard This does not prevent the AI from executing them flawlessly every time, of course.]]* SpotlightStealingSquad: The female fighters in the series fit this to a T. They are featured so prominently throughout the main series and the male-less ''Xtreme'' spin-off that some people are ''surprised'' to learn that ''Dead or Alive'' ''actually has male characters''.* SNKBoss: All of the final bosses appear to varying degrees, the worst being Kasumi Alpha-152 from ''Dead or Alive 4''.* TheStinger: [[spoiler:Victor Donovan is seen putting Omega's mask on his face after the credits of Chronicle mode in ''Dimensions''.]]** The ending of ''Dead or Alive 5'' reveals that [[spoiler:Rig is Victor Donovan's son and together they had plotted the events of the story.]]* {{Stripperiffic}}: Again, just about every female other than Nicole, who you can really only tell is female by her voice.* SuperSoldier: The entire plot is driven by Victor Donovan's plans to create super soldiers by capturing ninjas and cloning them against their will.* TangledFamilyTree: ''Dimensions'' reveals that Raidou was Shinden's brother, making Ayane both the half-sister and cousin of Kasumi and Hayate.* TacticalRockPaperScissors: Later games introduced the use of the Triangle system, wherein normal attacks were beaten by [[CounterAttack Holds]], which were then beaten by [[GrappleMove Throws]] which were then beaten by normal attacks. Countering an attack with its superior will lead to a Hi Counter that deals more damage and stun.* TakeThat: Itagaki, Team Ninja's former lead designer, really doesn't like the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series.* ThereAreNoTherapists: Ayane and Helena have both attempted suicide. And Helena has (or had) more than enough money to afford professional help.* TookALevelInBadass: Jann Lee's backstory. [[spoiler:He spent his childhood as a weak, bullied kid that can only escape the harsh reality by watching Bruce Lee films. Then he became an AscendedFanboy. And the rest is history.]]** Kasumi is a gameplay example of this in ''Dead or Alive 4''. Her move set got a deep upgrade, making her faster, more agile and overall more powerful, but without making her cheap nor broken. In other words, she evolves from a JackOfAllStats to more of a LightningBruiser, like the rest of the ninja characters.** Elliot from his past appearances to DOA 5, where he goes from a pretty able but doubtful guy to a confident, stonger fighter who is about to learn the final stage of his training.* {{Tsundere}}: Following the trend of their RedOniBlueOni personalities, Ayane is a Type A and Kasumi a Type B.* UncleTomfoolery: Zack in ''Dead or Alive 4''. Taken UpToEleven in his ending, to cringe-worthy levels.* UpdatedRerelease: Happened a few times with the series.** The original game was revamped as ''Dead or Alive++'', which included the extra characters from the [=PlayStation=] version and altered some of the mechanics. The [=PlayStation=] version itself had improved graphics and more characters over the arcade and Saturn releases.** ''[=DOA2=]: Hardcore'' is the [=PlayStation 2=] version of ''Dead or Alive 2'', which among other things brought back Bayman.** ''Dead or Alive: Ultimate'' is a double-pack of the original ''Dead or Alive'' and an updated version of the sequel (though ''Dead or Alive 2: Ultimate'' is significantly different, changing some of the gameplay mechanics and adding Hitomi from ''Dead or Alive 3'', so that it's more of a VideoGameRemake than a simple re-release).** ''Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate'' is this for ''Dead or Alive 5''. It features CanonImmigrant Momiji from ''Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword'', Leon (who wasn't in ''Dead or Alive 5''), Ein, and ''another'' {{guest fighter}} from the ''Virtua Fighter'' series, Jacky Bryant. It also includes a fair amount of Dead or Alive 5's DLC as well as completely new costumes (in addition to more, Ultimate exclusive DLC). A "final"(?) version of the game is also in the pipeline for a 2015 release, entitled "''Last Round''", featuring additional stages and balance adjustments (as well as the inclusion of all of ''Ultimate''[='=]s downloadable content, including characters).* VideoGameRemake:** ''[=DOA2=] Ultimate'' is a remake of ''[=DOA2=]'' with ''[=DOA3=]''-quality graphics.** ''Dead or Alive Dimensions'' is a remake of the first four games in the series for the Nintendo 3DS. It takes the opportunity to make the storyline more self-consistent, {{retcon}}ning the plot where necessary. (For example, ''Dimensions'' shows that when Kasumi ran away from her village to find Hayate in ''[=DOA1=]'', Christie [who wasn't introduced until ''[=DOA3=]''] used her helicopter to prevent Ayane from killing Kasumi and took Kasumi away to participate in the first Dead or Alive Tournament.)* WaifFu: ** Taken to an {{egregious}} extreme. All female characters are skinny and look like models, yet are capable of blowing fighters twice their size across the arena in a few punches.** ''Dead or Alive 4'' adds Eliot, a skinny teenage boy who can kick anyone's ass as well, though he does practice a specific form of martial arts popular for having a lot of physical power without requiring beefy muscles.* WeDontSuckAnymore: Tecmo's promotion for ''5'' had a general campaign for players to actually take it seriously, explaining the tagline "I'm a Fighter".* WellIntentionedExtremist: Helena [[spoiler: threatened to shoot Kasumi dead just because of she was in her way, or more likely so that DOATEC could no longer use her to create another Alpha-152.]]* WorldOfBuxom: A staple of the series, though this aspect was toned down notably in ''Dead or Alive 5''. There is still boatloads of fanservice, but there appears to be a slightly larger, more realistic variety of breast sizes.** The arcade version of Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate now adds Marie Rose, a girl with a small bust into the mix.* XtremeKoolLetterz: The ''Xtreme'' side-series.